THE HONEYBEE EMERALDS

Lameece Issaq narrates a mystery that sometimes sparkles. Alice, an intern at a struggling Parisian magazine, finds a dazzling diamond and emerald necklace. She; her colleagues Lily and Daphne; her boss, Jacob; and her parfumier neighbor, Alexander, are determined to discover the necklace's provenance. If they can sell it, its value will save the magazine. Issaq does well with the contemporary literary references, and her French accents are top-notch, firmly setting the story in Paris. However, in period flashbacks her characterizations are less convincing. The necklace is traced back to Louis Napoleon III's mistress, Mata Hari, and American entertainer Josephine Baker. Issaq does her best to keep things lively, but plot contrivances, especially the melodramatic ending, weaken an otherwise entertaining mystery. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2022]